Obese mum lost 7st to give son life-saving liver transplant

Charlene went from 16st 7lbs to 9st 7lbs when she found out she was too heavy to to donate her liver to her son Elliot [BPM ]

Charlene Howard, 33, dropped from 16st 7lbs to 9st 7lbs after she got the news that she was too big to be an organ donor for son Elliot, now aged nine, after he fell seriously ill.

As his closest relative, Charlene, was the best person for organ donation, but with a BMI of 43 (18-25 is healthy) she was told she was not well enough to give her son part of her liver.

"I would do anything for him," she said. “It was a total wake up call - I had to be physically healthy to be an eligible donor for him."

At her heaviest Charlene was 16st 7lbs and had a BMI of 43 [BMP]

“It was a total wake up call , I had to be physically healthy to be an eligible donor for Elliot”

The single-mum, from Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, starting piling on the pounds when Elliot was diagnosed with a brain tumour at just 18 months old.

At the time Charlene put her own health on the back burner as she cared for her son, while he was treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. She would eat whatever she could find and admitted comfort eating to help her through the difficult ordeal.

“Spending so much time in the hospital I would just grab anything convenient. Crisps, chocolate, chips from the local chippy or ready meals," said Charlene. "My priority was spending as much time as possible with my son.”

Elliot was diagnosed with a brain tumour at just 18 months old and Charlene started comfort eating to deal with the stress [BPM ]

Elliot, who also has Cystic Fibrosis, went into remission after a 11 hour operation and a series of chemotherapy, but was later diagnosed with liver disease at five years old and doctors said he may need a transplant to survive.

His best chance would be to have part of his mum’s liver, which would regenerate and grow to full size, but in order to do this Charlene needed to lose a considerable amount of weight.

"I realised I needed to get in shape and I would do anything to keep my child healthy or alive," she said.

So in 2009 she bought a Wii Fit and a treadmill and started exercising at home. She began by walking and worked her way up to a sprint.

“I didn’t tell anyone at first as I was ashamed that I might fail," she admitted. “But after I lost the first stone it felt good and I kept going.”

Gradually the yummy mummy cut out the takeaways and junk food and got a new diet plan using a 10-week challenge from desirableBody.co.uk.

Elliot, 9, is now in remission and a liver transplant has not been necessary to date [BMP]

As a result, she dropped from a size 16 to 18 to a size eight to 10 and her BMI is now a healthy 24.

“I would get up an hour before Elliot and go on the treadmill before I had to get him up, and sort out his feeding tubes and everything," she said. "It was tough, but I couldn’t have done it without my mum and dad throughout.”

At 9st 7lbs Charlene is now healthy and able to donate her liver if her son needs it in the future [BMP ]

Thankfully, Elliot is now in remission and a liver transplant has not been necessary to date but he has a healthy mum who is now in the perfect position to help him if he needs it in the future.

“Now I have lost weight Elliot and I have so much fun. He is my pure focus for the future,” added Charlene.